One year on, Sigachi blast victims’ families seek justice and promised ex gratia

Little Esther Rani watched vehicles speed past Pashamylaram junction, about 50 kilometres from Hyderabad, as her mother, Soni, joined a protest seeking justice for families devastated by the Sigachi Industries blast.

Esther was just six months old when the June 30 explosion last year claimed the lives of 54 workers, including her father, Bheem Rao. The State government had announced an ex gratia of ₹1 crore for each bereaved family. A year later, Soni says that promise remains only partly fulfilled.

“It is a year since I lost my husband. All that I received from the government so far is ₹41.5 lakh,” the 26-year-old widow, standing in the midst of other victims’ families and social activists, said. 

Soni was at her home in Bandlaguda when, around 3 p.m. on the day of the blast, a neighbour informed her that her husband had suffered severe burns. She rushed to the factory, only to learn that he had already been shifted to a private hospital.

Bheem Rao battled for life for four days before succumbing to his injuries on July 4.

“We never demanded any specific amount from the factory or the government. Now, nobody is telling us why they washed their hands off by paying less than half the amount promised,” she said.

Scientist Kalavala Babu Rao, who has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Telangana High Court seeking relief for the victims, said the responsibility for ensuring payment of the promised compensation rests with the State government. He pointed out that the Sigachi management had informed the High Court through an affidavit that it had an understanding with the government to pay only ₹42 lakh as ex gratia.

“If the company and the government had agreed on ₹42 lakh, why did the government publicly announce ₹1 crore? That question remains unanswered,” he said.

Mr. Rao also questioned what measures had been taken to prevent similar industrial accidents. “On one hand, the promised compensation in the Sigachi case remains unpaid. On the other, accidents continue to occur in pharmaceutical companies. Nobody is explaining what is being done to prevent them,” he said.